Fourth of July Security May Be More Muted

MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Associated Press Writer

The nation spent last Independence Day in the shadow of Sept. 11 and under the heavily armed guard of police. This year, Americans probably will see fewer police officers, bomb-sniffing dogs and security fences in what law enforcement officials say is a return to a more normal holiday.

Strained budgets will limit police presence and security tactics in many jurisdictions. Other cities are not bringing in extra officers because the federal terror level is expected to stay at code yellow.

Police in St. Louis will cordon off the Gateway Arch, but they won't bring back a fence meant to stop terrorists from swimming up the Mississippi. In Oregon, Portland police and state troopers said they planned no special precautions beside the extra patrols they have always deployed on holidays. In Iowa, Chief Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Vaughn said, "It's pretty much business as usual."

"I think people just need to get out and enjoy the holiday," Vaughn said. "I wouldn't let world affairs cause anybody to cower in fear or to become a recluse."

Thursday morning, Orlando International Airport in Florida was already busy with travelers, spokesman Luis Olivero said. "It has been gaining momentum all week," he said.

At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, officials said security lines were moving quickly.

Even in New York City, police will have fewer officers on the streets this year _ about 7,000. Police intend to use more interlocking metal barriers to control crowds, meaning fewer officers are needed, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

"We've already gone through one Fourth of July. There's a more relaxed atmosphere," Kelly said. Intelligence analysis has revealed no particular threats to New York state or city over the holiday weekend, officials said.

Nearly two years after Sept. 11, overtime costs are straining budgets in New York City and nationwide. Kelly said the city may still end up spending $700,000 each day of the holiday weekend to deploy about 4,200 patrol officers and special counter-terror units.

St. Louis police prohibited officers from taking vacation time over the July 4 so it could fully staff events without spending money on overtime.

In Niagara Falls, N.Y., budget constraints will keep staffing at normal levels, Deputy Chief John DeMarco said. State Parks Police will be out in force around the falls because of an influx of tourists, not terror threats.

The terror attacks of 2001 redefined "normal" for law enforcement officials; but many Americans said although increased police presence has become a part of daily life, they aren't overly worried about terrorism.

"I'm not extremely worried about national security," said Jonathan Dewey, a college student in Boston. "I think if everyone's paranoid, it just ruins the party."

Still, even average security in July 2003 is far from what it was two years ago. In many cities, officials said citizens have become so accustomed to heavy security that July 4 measures will go unnoticed.

In New York City, for instance, heavily armed "Hercules" teams will be on patrol to deter potential terrorists. Cops will have portable radiation detectors and equipment to sniff out chemical weapons.

Although security will be eased, law enforcers are still being vigilant.

Thursday morning, police bomb squads were called to a car rental agency near New York's La Guardia Airport after workers found a suspicious package and handgun in a car trunk. A city official later said the package was not a bomb. A day earlier, reports of suspicious activity led to temporary shutdowns of three major subway lines and the Brooklyn Bridge.

In Houston last week, FBI agents questioned at least a dozen immigrants and others with ties to the Middle East after authorities obtained intelligence pointing to a possible threat during the July 4 holiday.